Patent US5837577A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5837577A
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Method for making self-aligned node contacts to bit lines for capacitor-over-bit-line structures on dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
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Filing: 1998-04-24
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Granted: 1998-11-17
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Expires: 2018-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A method for making memory cells having self-aligned node contacts to bit lines was achieved. After forming the array of FETs for the memory cells, a first insulating layer is deposited and planarized. A single masking step is used to concurrently etch bit lines and node contact openings for crown capacitors. A second polysilicon layer and a silicide layer are deposited to form a polycide layer which is specially patterned to form bit lines with portions of the polycide layer extending over the node contacts. A second insulating layer (e.g., BPSG) is deposited and openings are etched aligned over the node contacts to the polycide. The polycide is selectively etched in the openings to electrically isolate the individual bit lines and concurrently form self-aligned node contacts. A third insulating layer is deposited and etched back to form insulating sidewall liners on the bit lines. A third polysilicon layer is deposited and polished back to form an array of bottom electrodes in the openings for crown capacitors. An interdielectric layer and a fourth polysilicon layer are deposited, and the fourth polysilicon layer is patterned to complete the array of crown capacitors for the DRAM device.
Inventors
- 👤 George Meng-Jaw Cherng
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:48
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B12/033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
308 words
A method for making an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells having capacitor node contacts self-aligned to bit lines comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas, and further providing semiconductor devices from a patterned first polysilicon layer and having contact areas for said semiconductor devices; depositing a first insulating layer having a planar surface; anisotropically etching openings in said first insulating layer to said contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings for said semiconductor devices; depositing a second polysilicon layer thereby filling said bit line contact openings and further filling said capacitor node contact openings to form node contacts; depositing a refractory metal silicide layer on said second polysilicon layer thereby forming a polycide layer; patterning said polycide layer to form an array of bit lines over said bit line contact openings and leaving portions of said polycide layer between said bit lines over said node contact openings; depositing a second insulating layer on said polycide layer; etching openings aligned over said node contact openings in said second insulating layer to said polycide layer and further etching said polycide layer over said node contacts to electrically isolate adjacent said bit lines from each other; depositing a third insulating layer and anisotropically etching back to form sidewall liners on said bit lines thereby isolating said bit lines from said node contacts; depositing a third polysilicon layer over said substrate in said openings in said second insulating layer; chemical/mechanically polishing back said third polysilicon layer to said second insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for an array of crown capacitors in said openings in said second insulating layer; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer to form top electrodes and thereby completing said array of DRAM cells.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
308 words
A method for making an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells having capacitor node contacts self-aligned to bit lines comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas, and further providing semiconductor devices from a patterned first polysilicon layer and having contact areas for said semiconductor devices; depositing a first insulating layer having a planar surface; anisotropically etching openings in said first insulating layer to said contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings for said semiconductor devices; depositing a second polysilicon layer thereby filling said bit line contact openings and further filling said capacitor node contact openings to form node contacts; depositing a refractory metal silicide layer on said second polysilicon layer thereby forming a polycide layer; patterning said polycide layer to form an array of bit lines over said bit line contact openings and leaving portions of said polycide layer between said bit lines over said node contact openings; depositing a second insulating layer on said polycide layer; etching openings aligned over said node contact openings in said second insulating layer to said polycide layer and further etching said polycide layer over said node contacts to electrically isolate adjacent said bit lines from each other; depositing a third insulating layer and anisotropically etching back to form sidewall liners on said bit lines thereby isolating said bit lines from said node contacts; depositing a third polysilicon layer over said substrate in said openings in said second insulating layer; chemical/mechanically polishing back said third polysilicon layer to said second insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for an array of crown capacitors in said openings in said second insulating layer; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer to form top electrodes and thereby completing said array of DRAM cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said first polysilicon layer is conductively doped and has a thickness of between about 500 and 2000 Angstroms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said first insulating layer is silicon oxide deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to a thickness of between about 1000 and 5000 Angstroms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said first insulating layer is planarized by chemical/mechanical polishing (CMP).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second polysilicon layer is conductively doped and has a thickness of between about 500 and 5000 Angstroms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said silicide layer is composed of tungsten silicide having a thickness of between about 500 and 2000 Angstroms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second insulating layer is a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) deposited to a thickness of between about 2000 and 20000 Angstroms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said openings in said second insulating layer over said node contact openings are etched using anisotropic plasma etching.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said polycide layer over said node contacts is anisotropically plasma etched to the surface of said first insulating layer while leaving portions of said second polysilicon layer in said node contact openings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said third insulating is silicon nitride deposited to a thickness of between about 100 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said third insulating is silicon oxide deposited to a thickness of between about 200 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said third polysilicon layer is conductively doped and deposited to a thickness of between about 200 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said interelectrode dielectric layer is composed of a silicon oxide-silicon nitride-silicon oxide (ONO) and has an effective thickness of between about 30 and 70 Angstroms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said fourth polysilicon layer is conductively doped and deposited to a thickness of between about 250 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor devices are metal-oxide-silicon field effect transistors (MOSFETs).
Claim 17
Independent Claim
332 words
A method for making an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells having capacitor node contacts self-aligned to bit lines comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas, and further providing field effect transistors having gate electrodes formed from a patterned first polysilicon layer and having source/drain contact areas adjacent to said gate electrodes in said device areas; depositing a first insulating layer having a planar surface; anisotropically etching openings in said first insulating layer to said source/drain contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings for said field effect transistors; depositing a second polysilicon layer thereby filling said bit line contact openings and further filling said capacitor node contact openings to form node contacts; depositing a refractory metal silicide layer on said second polysilicon layer thereby forming a polycide layer; patterning said polycide layer to form an array of bit lines over said bit line contact openings and leaving portions of said polycide layer between said bit lines over said node contact openings; depositing a second insulating layer on said polycide layer; etching openings aligned over said node contact openings in said second insulating layer to said polycide layer and further etching said polycide layer over said node contacts to electrically isolate adjacent said bit lines from each other; depositing a third insulating layer and anisotropically etching back to form sidewall liners on said bit lines thereby isolating said bit lines from said node contacts; depositing a third polysilicon layer over said substrate in said openings in said second insulating layer; chemical/mechanically polishing back said third polysilicon layer to said second insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for an array of crown capacitors in said openings in said second insulating layer; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer to form top electrodes and thereby completing said array of DRAM cells.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
332 words
A method for making an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells having capacitor node contacts self-aligned to bit lines comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas, and further providing field effect transistors having gate electrodes formed from a patterned first polysilicon layer and having source/drain contact areas adjacent to said gate electrodes in said device areas; depositing a first insulating layer having a planar surface; anisotropically etching openings in said first insulating layer to said source/drain contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings for said field effect transistors; depositing a second polysilicon layer thereby filling said bit line contact openings and further filling said capacitor node contact openings to form node contacts; depositing a refractory metal silicide layer on said second polysilicon layer thereby forming a polycide layer; patterning said polycide layer to form an array of bit lines over said bit line contact openings and leaving portions of said polycide layer between said bit lines over said node contact openings; depositing a second insulating layer on said polycide layer; etching openings aligned over said node contact openings in said second insulating layer to said polycide layer and further etching said polycide layer over said node contacts to electrically isolate adjacent said bit lines from each other; depositing a third insulating layer and anisotropically etching back to form sidewall liners on said bit lines thereby isolating said bit lines from said node contacts; depositing a third polysilicon layer over said substrate in said openings in said second insulating layer; chemical/mechanically polishing back said third polysilicon layer to said second insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for an array of crown capacitors in said openings in said second insulating layer; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer to form top electrodes and thereby completing said array of DRAM cells.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said first polysilicon layer is conductively doped and has a thickness of between about 500 and 2000 Angstroms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said first insulating layer is silicon oxide deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to a thickness of between about 1000 and 5000 Angstroms.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said first insulating layer is planarized using a spin-on glass and conventional etchback techniques.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said second polysilicon layer is conductively doped and has a thickness of between about 500 and 5000 Angstroms.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said silicide layer is composed of tungsten silicide having a thickness of between about 500 and 2000 Angstroms.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said second insulating layer is a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) deposited to a thickness of between about 2000 and 20000 Angstroms.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said openings in said second insulating layer over said node contact openings are etched using anisotropic plasma etching.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said polycide layer over said node contacts is anisotropically plasma etched to the surface of said first insulating layer while leaving portions of said second polysilicon layer in said node contact openings.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said third insulating is silicon nitride deposited to a thickness of between about 100 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said third insulating is silicon oxide deposited to a thickness of between about 200 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said third polysilicon layer is conductively doped and deposited to a thickness of between about 200 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said interelectrode dielectric layer is composed of a silicon oxide-silicon nitride-silicon oxide (ONO) and has an effective thickness of between about 30 and 70 Angstroms.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said fourth polysilicon layer is conductively doped and deposited to a thickness of between about 250 and 1000 Angstroms.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5346844A
Cited
US5668038A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-11-16 | 2002-05-18 | 2002-11-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-16 | 2006-05-18 | 2006-11-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-16 | 2010-05-18 | 2010-11-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |